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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — a match
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. drill — a practice
  18. plane — a tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com